Weekend Plans: Look, Learn and Laugh!

# 1 – LEARN

What: Stephen Hawking – A 70th Birthday Celebration
Where: The Science Museum
When: Friday 20th January until April
Why: For something a little different this weekend, pop down to the Science Museum, where they are celebrating the 70th birthday of Professor Stephen Hawking with an exhibition about his life and achievements – of which there are many! The display features objects and papers sourced from his own archives including handwritten notes, a drawing of the Hawking Radiation mechanism, the annotated script for a 1999 guest appearance on The Simpsons, and the blue suit he wore for a zero-gravity flight in 2007. The display also includes a specially recorded message and a selection of personal photographs from Hawking’s life and career that haven’t been seen before.

# 2 – LAUGH

What:Wise Cracks: The Comedies of Woody Allen
Where: The BFI
When: Friday 20th Jan until 31st Jan
Why: With a career that spans more than 40 films there is plenty to choose from for the BFI’s season of Woody Allen films. The season which runs through January, celebrates his classic comedies including Annie and Midnight in Paris. One of the most prolific filmmakers of our time, Woody Allen’s offbeat comedies find humour in even the most chaotic and absurd situations. Whether you are a die hard Wood Allen fan or not, there will be something for everyone to enjoy!

# 3 – LOOK

What: L’immediat
Where: Barbican
When: 20 – 21st January
Why: You might not have known, but every January London hosts the International Mime Festival, a two week feast of visual entertainment from artists from around the world. The contemporary festival has everything from cutting edge circus and magic to dance pieces and puppetry. Our pick this weekend is L’immediat at the Barbican, which is sixty minutes of beautifully orchestrated circus theatre with seven acrobats and dancers in a breathtaking physical performance!

Have a lovely weekend! Xx

20 Jan 2012 filed under Weekend Plans and tagged with Barbican, BFI, L'immediat, Science Museum, Stephen Hawking, Woody Allen

Today we love….Bus Top Art

What better way to brighten up your morning commute than with some inspiring messages or exciting art work on the top of the bus shelters on your way to work!

Well, that is exactly what is happening as part of the Cultural Olympiad art project. There are currently 30 digital screens across London focussing particularly on routes that will service the Olympics. The screens feature specially commissioned work by a range of contemporary artists. One these artists is Mark Titchner, who has created an evolving series of motivational messages to inspire you on even the most uninspiring of journeys!

Even more exciting, the company behind the project are opening it up to public submissions in late January. To find out more about this or to see where the screens are, visit the website www.bus-tops.com.

Check it out!

18 Jan 2012 filed under Life & Style, News & Events and tagged with Bus Top Art, Mark Titchner, Olympics

Weekend Plans: A Feast for the Eyes

# 1 –  SEE

What: ‘Making It Up As We Go Along’ 20 Years of Dazed & Confused Magazine
Where: Terrace Rooms – Somerset House
When: Until 29th January, 10am – 6pm
Why: This exhibition celebrates 20 years of iconic style and culture magazine Dazed & Confused. Launched in 1991 by Jefferson Hack and photographer Rankin, it quickly established itself as a go to reference for cutting edge fashion, music and art. The exhibition has been curated by Jefferson Hack and Emma Reeves and features the magazines most famous covers, stories and photoshoots from the likes of Nick Knight, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Katie Grand and Alexander McQueen.

# 2 – SEE

What: London Short Film Festival
Where: Roxy Bar & Screen
When: Sunday 15th January from 2pm
Why: What better way to spend a cold winter’s afternoon than in a cosy cinema watching films! The London Short Film Festival specialises in UK short film making and takes over London’s best independent cinemas for the first two weeks of January. The selection of short films at the Roxy focusses on documentaries and will take you from the tough prisons of Scotland to voodoo experiences in Haiti. Through the six short films you will meet a whole range of characters from a veteran low budget filmmaker in Pennsylvania to a rock star-turned-cabbie in Glasgow, and an ex-pat Englishman on the snowbound streets of New York’s Lower East Side.

# 3 – SEE

What:Damien Hirst: The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011
Where: Gagosian Gallery
When: From 12th January to 18th February
Why: If you haven’t had enough culture in your weekend then head down to the Gagosian Gallery, which is currently exhibiting a huge collection of Damien Hirst’s iconic spot paintings. Celebrating 25 years of the spot painting the exhibition includes more than 300 paintings, from the first spot on board that Hirst created in 1986 to a large scale work of four spots that measure 60 inches in diameter all the way to his most recent spot painting from 2011. Whether you love him or hate him, Hirst’s work always sparks a bit of conversation and debate!

Have a lovely weekend! Xx

13 Jan 2012 filed under Weekend Plans and tagged with Damien Hirst, Damien Hirst: The Complete Spot Paintings, Dazed & Confused, Gagosian Gallery, London Short Film Festival, LSFF, Making it up as we go along, Roxy Bar and Screen, Somerset House

The fantastic Wolf & Badger Sale

When the official spending season is over and the sale time begins, we happily start to spoil ourselves a bit! When design pieces worth an investment become so affordable, we think it would be silly not to! Have you checked out our January sale with a selection of menswear, womenswear and accessories up to 50% off?!

The wonderful Carly from our Notting Hill boutique put together some looks with the items available in store to show you just what kind of great products are currently going at bargain rates!

Take a look at our evening, party and casual look to see if there’s anything that catches your eye. Hurry up though, stock is running out quickly!

Outfit 1: Manley – Boxter Dress: Was £220 Now £133.20 (-40%) // Manley – Drape Wrap Coat: Was £475 Now £333 (-30%)
Outfit 2: Liz Black - Little Black Dress: Was £725 Now £507.50 (-30%)
Outfit 3: Ekaterina Kukhareva -  Fringe Macrame Dress: Was £1354 Now £948 (-30%) // Greyon – Cape: Was £595 Now £476 (-20%)

11 Jan 2012 filed under For Women, Notting Hill Boutique and tagged with Ekaterina Kukhareva, Greyon, Liz Black, Manley, Notting Hill, sale, Wolf & Badger Notting Hill

Music Monday: David Bowie

This week Music Monday is dedicated to the star-man himself, David Bowie. We’d like to wish him a Happy Birthday and we hope he enjoyed his 65th birthday yesterday. We love him not only because he is a hero of 20th century pop music, influencing many modern day performers, but also because he is a complete style icon for both men and women. His distinctive yet chameleon like style has influenced everyone from Kate Moss on the front cover of Vogue…

…to designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, whose SS11 catwalk show in Paris had a distinctive Ziggy Stardust feel to it.

We have picked his classic 1971 track Life on Mars? as our Music Monday. Happy Birthday Bowie!

Enjoy Xx

09 Jan 2012 filed under Music and tagged with David Bowie, Happy Birthday, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kate Moss, Music Monday

Weekend Plans – See something magical, explore London like you’ve never seen it, and eat some meat!

#1 – See

What – Dale Chihuly Exhibition
Where – Halcyon Gallery
When – Until 29th January, Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sun 11am – 5pm
Why – This weekend is the perfect opportunity to take some time out to relax after the busy holiday season and unwind as you pack away those ornaments and finish off the last of the Christmas chocolates. What better way to do that than check out the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery! Chihuly is widely known for his contemporary glass works and for creating some truly otherworldly sculptures. At the exhibition you can expect nothing more than to see some incredible glass blown art pieces which will provide just the right dose of magic and whimsy, meaning 2012 will be off to a great start.
We can’t help but be reminded of Jasmin Rowlandson’s Microworld which is available in our online shop!

#2 – Explore

What – A Room for London
Where – On top of Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank
When – From January 1st – December 31st 2012
Why – If one of your new years resolutions is to experience something a bit different from your average night out in London then we have got the perfect suggestion for you! How about spending an evening on a boat on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall? The one-bedroom ‘riverboat’ is a year long installation that offers people the opportunity to spend a night reflecting on London as you enjoy the magical view stretching from Big Ben to St. Paul’s cathedral. For your stay you can expect all the comforts of a top hotel, making it the perfect place to escape and enjoy a magical and thought-provoking experience. You better hurry though, with bookings running out fast you don’t want to miss out on crossing this off your ‘things to do in 2012’ list!

#3 – Eat

What – Meat Liquor
Where – Welbeck Street, London
When – Tues – Thurs 12noon – 12am, Fri – Sat 12noon – 2am
Why – Everyone who follows us on Twitter knows that one of our team members has a borderline food obsession when it comes to meat so it will be no surprise to you that we would suggest a restaurant titled ‘Meat Liquor’. Just as the name says, you will find both meat and liquor in abundance at this new restaurant, so vegetarians and non-drinkers beware (although there are suitable options for both)! Burgers are the main event and are made with 100% pure ground beef and loaded with a wide array of toppings. You will also be able to sample a selection of beer, wine and delicious cocktails, some of which come served in jam jars! There are no reservations at this restaurant so if you want to avoid the queues make sure to get there slightly earlier or be prepared for a bit of a wait! So far we have heard nothing but praise (including Jamie Oliver), so you’ll definitely find us in the queue!

Have a nice weekend x

06 Jan 2012 filed under Weekend Plans and tagged with A Room for London, Architecture, Art Exhibition, Dale Chihuly, Eat out in London, Explore London, Meat Liquor

Making of – Pyrrha

At Wolf & Badger we are curious by nature, so it is no surprise that we LOVE ‘behind the scenes’ videos. Furthermore knowing how the items are produced and how much effort and skill is put into creating them gives us a whole new level of appreciation. Naturally we were very excited when we saw this video which shows the process of making Pyrrha’s stunning jewellery.

Each of Pyrrha’s jewellery is 100% hand crafted meaning that every piece is incredibly special and unique. They take pride in keeping the little “flaws” found in each wax seal which is a small reminder of the work that goes into each pendant, bracelet, earring and ring.

In the video, you can see how they start the creative process by making a wax mould using original 19th century wax seals. This is then used to form the mould for the jewellery seals. After the mould is finished, they melt reclaimed silver, bronze or gold which is then cast into the bracelet. We were surprised to see how after the bracelet has been cast and how the metal goes through numerous processes to create an antique look. It is then finished off with a coat of wax and is polished for a nice shiny finish!

We hope you enjoyed this “making of” and keep posted for more in the future!

Wolf & Badger x

05 Jan 2012 filed under Designers, For Men, For Women, Notting Hill Boutique and tagged with Jewellery, Jewellery Designers, Making of, Making of Pyrrah, Pyrrah, wolf & badger, Wolf & Badger Boutique